‘Murder, not an accident’: BJP attacks AAP after students die in flooded Delhi coaching centre | News from India

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Sunday slammed the AAP government, blaming it for the drowning of three UPSC aspirants who died on Saturday when water suddenly entered the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi.

“Murder, not an accident”
BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla termed it a “murder” and not an accident. He said, “It is the criminal negligence of the AAP due to which at least three girls have lost their lives…”

Referring to the recent death of another UPSC candidate who was electrocuted while trying to cross a flooded road, Poonawalla said, “There have been many deaths in similar manner. Are the lives of Delhi residents worth nothing? The only priority of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party government is to hold press conferences, do publicity and blame others.”

Delhi BJP leader Virendra Sachdeva and New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj also visited the accident site and blamed the AAP administration for the incident. They said the local MP had ignored repeated appeals from the residents to get the drains cleaned.

“The criminal negligence of the Delhi government is responsible for this incident. Jal Board Minister Atishi and local MP Durgesh Pathak should take responsibility and resign,” Sachdeva said.

Swaraj said divers had to be called to rescue the students. “For the past week, locals have been urging AAP MP Durgesh Pathak to get the drain here cleaned. But Durgesh Pathak did not listen to them. Arvind Kejriwal, Durgesh Pathak and the AAP government bear sole responsibility for this incident,” she said.

Delhi BJP leader Virendraa Sachdeva said, “What happened there is not a tragedy but murder. How could the library function in the basement? What happened to an investigation that was initiated earlier? These students are the future of the country… You (Delhi government) are involved in this corruption. People were constantly demanding that the sewers be cleaned. What have you done? The AAP government has destroyed the whole of Delhi. What is their (the students’) fault for coming to Delhi to study? You should be ashamed of yourselves.”




Maliwal expresses similar views – “It is murder”
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal also expressed her unease over the delay in taking action against the officials responsible, saying the deaths should be termed a “murder” rather than a disaster.

AAP MP Swati Maliwal, who was paying a visit, was met by protesting students outside the training centre shouting slogans like “Swati, go back”. The protesting students said, “We will not let you do politics.” Maliwal, however, said the students were “sad and angry” and claimed that more than 12 hours had passed and not a single minister from the Delhi government was present at the site, while the mayor and MDC officials were also missing.

“This is not a natural disaster. This is murder. An FIR must be lodged and strict action must be taken against those involved. The families of the students who lost their lives must be given a compensation of Rs 1 crore. Delhi government ministers are holding press conferences in air-conditioned rooms. Delhi mayor had earlier asked people to enjoy the monsoon. Is this enjoyment? There is anger among the students. They have been sitting here since last night but no one has come to meet them so far,” she told news agency ANI.